A serene middle-aged man sits down at what is apparently a rolltop desk. Around him, shallow darkness, and the arms and torso of an assistant standing by his side. The man pulls up the rolltop (the sound of wood…

Perpetually in the vanguard of world cinema, Wong Kar-wai reinvents and reenergizes his aesthetic with each new picture. With In the Mood for Love, his latest variation on a cherished theme, he delves into a universe of understated passions restrained by decorum.

He played con men and pickpockets, gold hunters and psychiatrists, sea captains and rodeo riders. He was one of the most dependable actors Hollywood ever had and also one of the best. Kent Jones goes to lunch with Richard Widmark and talks with him about his old job